The Complete Guide to Getting Your Business Organised for Success

Trying to get a startup business off the ground is a tricky task. There are many things that can go badly wrong if you’re not careful. It’s very easy for things to get out of control, and that’s when organisational measures are left by the wayside as you focus on other things. That’s a big mistake though.

If you want your startup to succeed, you need to get your business organised and ready to take on the competition. This is much easier said than done though. So, to help you out, here are some key tips that will make your new business ten times more organised than it is right now.

Plan each day in advance

The night before you go into the office, you should take the time out to plan the day ahead. This will allow you to make sure that you don’t waste time making plans when you get to the office in the morning. Y

ou should make a list of some aims that you want to fulfil during the day tomorrow. This will help you to focus your mind when you get to work.

You can also make some long-term plans that will help you to plan out the future of the business. Of course, many of these plans will not go the way you wanted them to.

But that’s not really the point. You definitely get more done and manage to stay more organised when you have a clear plan of action laid out in front of you.

Set the pace early

When you get to the office, don’t spend the first few hours of the day doing nothing. This is a mistake that a lot of people make. They spend the morning sipping coffee, checking emails and holding meetings. But this sounds a lot like a waste of time if you ask me. You should be setting the pace for the whole day when you arrive at work.

You’ll be surprised at how much difference this can make. When you start off the day in a slow and listless way, the rest of the day will be the same.

But when you throw yourself into the tasks that you need to get done, you can power ahead and achieve a consistent level of productivity all day. That’s exactly what you want, so give it a try.

Refer back to your business plan

As a new business owner, you should have made a business plan before you got your business up and running. It’s something that every entrepreneur should do, and it’s not just about getting investor backing or helping you get started. That business plan should be a document that you can refer back to at any time when you’re struggling.

So, as your business grows and finds greater levels of success, you should keep referring back to your plan. It will help to remind you of what your original goals and aims were when you first started the business. It can help you a lot and refocus your mind on what’s really important and what’s not.

Clear out old supplies

Many companies have old stock filling up their office and store cupboards. But this is not what an organised business looks like. If you want your business to be organised, you need the space you work in to be organised as well.

It’s a good idea to have a clear out of your stock every couple of months. If the stock is no longer of use to you, it can be gotten rid of.

Freeing up some space and getting the office in better shape is always a good thing. It will make it much easier for you to stay on top of your stock levels.

This means that you won’t fall into the trap of overbuying or underbuying stock, which often happens when stock levels are not organised. You might even be able to make some money by selling the things your business no longer needs.

Delegate tasks carefully

One bug organisational skill that is very useful in the workplace is delegation. There’s a lot more to good delegation than simply telling people to do stuff.

You have to think about how much work each person has and make sure that everyone has the right balance. It doesn’t make sense to delegate a task to someone who is already struggling to complete another major task. You also need to think about which people possess which skills.

If there’s something that one person is particularly good at, make sure they are given the jobs that match their skills. This will help to make sure that you get the best possible outcome from each and every person working for your business.

Purge your desk

When was the last time you had a good clear out of your desk? This is the place at which you spend each day in the office, and it needs to be organised to get the most from it.

There’s nothing worse than trying to find a document on a desk that is stacked high with books and pieces of paper. It’s simply not a good way to work.

So, every so often, make sure you purge your desk and do what you can to keep it as organised as possible. The more organised it is, the more functional it will be for you.

Throw out everything that is no longer needed. And encourage your employees to do the same with their desks and workstations. Important documents should be filed, and we’ll move onto that next.

Make your filing system easy to use

Why is it that so many office filing systems seem to be pretty much impossible to use? There’s no reason why you can’t come up with an office filing system that makes sense and is easy to use for anyone who needs to do so. If you are having trouble finding the files and documents you need, it might be the right time to overhaul your filing system.

The key is to keep it as simple as it possibly can be. It’s not always easy to do this. But it certainly is possible if you try hard enough. There are lots of examples of different filing systems that you can find online. If you try them all out, you’ll be able to find the one that is best for you.

Use the best software

Software and technology can help you to make your business more organised as well. Try out the different types of management and scheduling software that you can buy right now. You can schedule your meetings and commitments on a computer programme and then have alerts sent straight to your smartphone.

There are also great management software options that are perfect for linking up the different aspects of your business. You can see more at Job Logic if you’re interested in taking advantage of something like this. Give it a try and see how it can improve the organisation of your business.

Know your limits

As a startup owner, you probably have a lot to take care of. And it’s hard to keep your business organised when you are very busy. You should know your limits and don’t try to overstretch yourself.

This only leads to more mistakes and problems arising, and that’s not what you want. There are things you can do to take the pressure off you though.

You could hire more staff once your business starts to earn more money. This will instantly take some of the pressure off you. And you can then get things under control and make the entire workplace a little more organised. Alternatively, you could outsource a few key tasks to an external company.

Keep taxes in mind

No business owner likes paying taxes, but it needs to be done. That’s why you should keep them at the forefront of your mind when you’re trying to make your office a more organised place.

You don’t want to be one of those people who puts their tax bill out of their mind all year. When you do that, you will be left scrambling around to get things sorted when it’s time to pay up.

You should file your receipts, invoices and bank statements in one place. This’ll make it easier for you to fill in your tax return when the times comes to do so. It’s a relatively small change to make, but it could save you a lot of hassle and frustration when the tax man comes calling.

Leave work at the office

When you’re trying to turn your business into a success, it can be tempting to work around the clock. But tiring yourself out and burning the candle at both ends won’t help you or your business in the long-term. If you ask me, you should leave your work at the office and try to keep it separate from the rest of your life.

This is not always easy to do, but it is definitely the best thing you can do. It makes it easy to keep your life organised and uncomplicated as well. And that’s important for anyone who has a high-pressure, stressful job in the world of business.

Founding Editor @Alltopstartups, Columnist @Inc. Magazine and Curator at Postanly (his free weekly digest of the best life and career improvement posts on the web). Subscribe for free. Check out his books on Amazon.